Super Mario 64 #14 - Peach's Castle Secret Stars

1. The Princess's Secret Slide, Peach's Castle Secret Stars

At the beginning of the level are the Bob-omb Buddies, who will give you access to the cannon right next to them, the cannon will allow you to go to higher places, such as clouds.

Right after them, you will see a bridge, which the Goombas are guarding, and also a huge Chain Chomp that is guarding a star. All around are Bob-ombs that will blow up all over, and in the middle is a mountain with boulders coming down it.

Koopa the Quick will also offer to race Mario to the top once King Bob-omb is defeated by Mario. The last level of Bob-omb Battlefield is where Mario has to beat the Chain Chomp you have seen in all the other levels. To beat it, one will have to ground-pound on its peg. Once the peg is totally in the ground, the Chain Chomp will be freed, and it will give you its Star. There are several Wing Cap Blocks and six cannons in the level.

To collect the first Star of the game, Mario needs to advance throughout the course and scale the mountain until reaching the top of the summit. There are several obstacles and enemies on his way, including Goombas, a Chain Chomp, water bombs, and Big Steelies which roll down the path. Here, he encounters King Bob-omb, and the two start battling one another. In order for Mario to defeat him, he has to go behind him and lift him up to slam him to the ground. King Bob-omb then makes a single bounce and gets back up. Mario must repeat this step two more times in order to fully defeat King Bob-omb to gain his first Power Star, allowing him to gain access to the top-right room with Princess Peach's Slide and Whomp's Fortress.

Start by running up the path ahead and crossing the first bridge. Follow the path as it turns left. Stick close to the wall to avoid the Chain Chomp. After passing the Chain Chomp, cross over the teetering bridge ahead and run toward the signs with red arrows that lead you through the gap in the fencing ahead.

Though the path up the mountain curls toward the right, go left instead. there is a small stretch of grass that leads up a steep slope. it is quite steep, but Mario can run up the slope as long as you continue moving. Just keep running and do not jump, or you will slide back down. After you pass the Red Coin, it is just a little bit longer till you get there.

At the top of the slope, you will see the path that circles around the mountain. Follow the path toward the right to start making your way toward the top and avoid the giant balls as they roll by. You can jump over them, or simply step around them if there's enough room. As you near the top of the mountain, you will find a heart icon along the path. Step into it if you need to heal before you finish following the path and to reach the top of the mountain.

you will need to defeat Big Bob-omb. Being in front of him is dangerous. If you get too close to Big Bob-omb, he will grab you and throw you, possibly off the edge of the mountain. If you are off the mountain too long, the battle will start over again – so be careful.

To defeat Big Bob-omb, walk behind him and grab his back. Once you have grabbed him, throw him onto the ground to make him take a hit. do not throw him off the mountain – it will not count. Keep the battle at the mountain top where you are. Do this two more times and he will explode. Pick up the Power Star he leaves behind to complete the level!

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2. The Princess’s Secret Slide Revisited, Peach's Castle Secret Stars

For this Power Star, you have got to beat Koopa the Quick in a race to the top of the mountain, the same mountain you fought Big Bob-omb. Speak to the large Koopa at the start of the level and accept his challenge to race him. The goal is to reach the flag on the summit of the mountain before your racing rival does. Since you cannot use cannons, use a similar path to that of the first level. Make sure to also use long jumps to move faster too.

The fastest way up is the same way we described in the first mission. Start by running up the path ahead and crossing the first bridge. Follow the path as it turns left. Stick close to the wall to avoid the Chain Chomp. After passing the Chain Chomp, cross over the teetering bridge ahead and run toward the signs with red arrows that lead you through the gap in the fencing ahead.

Though the path up the mountain curls toward the right, go left instead. there is a small stretch of grass that leads up a steep slope. it is quite steep, but Mario can run up the slope as long as you continue moving. Just keep running and do not jump, or you will slide back down. After you pass the Red Coin, it is just a little bit longer till you get there.

At the top of the slope, you will see the path that circles around the mountain. Follow the path toward the right to start making your way toward the top and avoid the giant balls as they roll by. You can jump over them, or simply step around them if there's enough room. Dodge the rolling balls while jumping over the gaps in the path (to make it over the last gap, use a running long jump). When you get to the top, simply touch the flag and wait for Koopa the Quick to catch up and give you your prize.

there is a secret warp hidden inside a hole on the side of the mountain as you make your way up the path. Stand in the center of the hole and you will warp to the hole just before the top of the mountain. Stand at the flag and wait for your rival to show up to get your star.

you will need to defeat Big Bob-omb. Being in front of him is dangerous. If you get too close to Big Bob-omb, he will grab you and throw you, possibly off the edge of the mountain. If you are off the mountain too long, the battle will start over again – so be careful.

To defeat Big Bob-omb, walk behind him and grab his back. Once you have grabbed him, throw him onto the ground to make him take a hit. do not throw him off the mountain – it will not count. Keep the battle at the mountain top where you are. Do this two more times and he will explode. Pick up the Power Star he leaves behind to complete the level!

there is a secret warp hidden inside a hole on the side of the mountain as you make your way up the path. Stand in the center of the hole and you will warp to the hole just before the top of the mountain. Stand at the flag and wait for your rival to show up to get your star.

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3. The Secret Aquarium, Peach's Castle Secret Stars

Talk to the pink Bob-omb Buddy at the start of the level to unlock the cannon. Go up the wooden bridge and look for a cannon inside the top of a nearby rock. Look up at the floating island above you and aim just above the top of the tree and shoot the cannon. After grabbing onto the tree, open the yellow block to reveal the star.

You must do as the mission title says, “shoot to the island in the sky.” There is a small island floating in the air near the side of the mountain. Getting there is your goal!

Talk to the pink Bob-omb straight ahead of where you start to open the cannons in the level. you will need the use a cannon to get there, though cannon at the very front will not do the trick. you will need to reach the cannon that is on the mountain. it is on the path near the top of the mountain.

Head up the mountain – you have already done this twice before! Once you are halfway up the mountain, you will see a cannon with a black Bob-omb standing next to it. that is not the cannon you want; it is just there to shoot water. Keep going up the path. The cannon you want is near the top, next to the Heart Icon that heals you. Jump into the hole in the ground to drop inside the cannon and make it appear.

Gravity will pull Mario down, so you may need to aim slightly higher from where you want to land. Aim for the floating island so that Mario slides across the ground, or aim at the tree so that Mario grabs onto it. Either way, once you're up there, walk around the island to see a yellow box. Break it to reveal the Star.

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4. Bowser in the Dark World 8 Red Coins, Peach's Castle Secret Stars

How to Access Bowser in the Dark World

After earning eight Power Stars, go up the stairs of the castle’s main hall and use the big star door on the left to enter a long hallway. Head into the hallway; the floor opens, causing you to fall into the course.

Head forward until you see the Purple Switch on the floor in front of the Flamethrower. Wait for the fire to go away to hit the switch. Walk to the brick platform that extends over the edge to grab Red Coin #1. Quickly, return to the beginning of the stage to find a narrow brick platform sticking out of the corner. Use the narrow platform to reach Red Coin #2, and quickly return to the main platform before the timer runs out.

Continue further up the path and go up the ramps. Avoid the Flamethrower and jump across the spinning platforms to reach an area with some Goombas. Go up the wooden walkway and continue following the path with crystals being circled by Amps. Avoid the Amp that’s circling the third crystal, and grab Red Coin #3 that’s hiding behind it.

Continue up the path. Jump onto the stone platform with the yellow platform moving through it. Wait for the yellow platform to move forward and drop onto it to collect Red Coin #4. Jump over to the shifting platforms and collect Red Coin #5 in the corner.

Continue across the shifting platforms to reach the stone platform with the Goomba. Head to the left side to find a narrow wooden beam, which stretches to a large platform with an Amp surrounding the spike in the center. Walk behind the spike to find Red Coin #6. Then, return to the stone platform with the Goomba.

Jump to the right onto the teetering blue platforms and make your way to the other side. At the end, turn around and walk along the narrow ledge near the right wall to get Red Coin #7 hiding behind the teetering platform. Jump back onto the nearest teetering platform. Stand on the right end of the platform to tilt the left side up; then, run and jump up to the top of the stone structure. Keep going left jump across the top of the structure to find Red Coin #8!

The Power Star appears just ahead on the main path. Return toward the right and reach the stone platform that’s after the teetering ones. Use the ledge to make your way up the path. Hit the Purple Switch on the floor to create a staircase next to you, and quickly head up. Grab the Power Star next to the warp pipe before using the pipe to reach Bowser.

Fighting Bowser

This is the first confrontation against Bowser. There are four bombs on the edges of the arena. You must fling Bowser into one of the bombs to defeat him.

Run behind Bowser and grab his tail. Circle control sticks around to get Mario spinning. Then, press the grab button again to throw him. Do your best to aim and time your release in the direction of one of the bombs to knock him out and complete the course. You can throw Bowser multiple times if you miss. Throwing him off the edge of the arena will do no damage. After defeating Bowser with a bomb, you will receive the Boss Key that will allow you to enter the locked door in the basement.

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5. Tower of the Wing Cap 8 Red Coins, Peach's Castle Secret Stars

Unlocking the Wing Cap

In Super Mario 64, the Wing Cap can be unlocked once the player has collected 10 Power Stars. It does not matter in which level or missions the Power Stars were acquired. Once you've gotten 10 Power Stars, go to the main hall of Peach’s Castle. There will be a beam of light shining onto the Octagonal Sun in the center of the floor. Have Mario stand on that spot and tilt the camera to view the source of the light. Upon looking up at the light, you’ll be transported to a secret course in the sky – and Mario will be wearing the Wing Cap. Fly onto the platform with the large red switch on it and do a ground pound to trigger the red switch. This activates all the red !-Blocks in every course.

How to Use the Wing Cap

The Wing Cap is a power-up that is acquired by hitting a red !-Block. When Mario touches the Wing Cap, it allows him to fly across the course – much like a glider. Tilting the stick up causes Mario to dive, and tilting it down causes him to lift. Mario can take flight with the Wing Cap in a couple of different ways.

• Triple Jump: Running forward and jumping three consecutive times makes Mario perform a triple jump. The triple jump allows Mario to jump slightly higher, and when wearing the Wing Cap, it allows Mario to take flight.
• Cannon: While wearing the Wing Cap, Mario can fly when he shoots out of a cannon.

When flying, if the camera is giving you trouble, toggle the view to switch from Lakitu camera to Mario view. You might find this works better for you. Changing your perspective can make a huge difference!

This Power Star is fairly simple to get and is a great way to practice your Wing Cap flying skills. To get the star, you must collect the eight Red Coins in the area. There is a pair of Red Coins on the North, East, South, and West sides of the stage. Fly over to the edge of the area and grab the coins. Then, keep following the trail of gold coins as they circle around the edge of the stage to find all the Red Coins. After getting the final Red Coin the Power Star appears on the tower, next to the red switch. If you haven’t done it already, ground pound to trigger the red switch first before getting the star and exiting the course.

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6. Cavern of the Metal Cap 8 Red Coins, Peach's Castle Secret Stars

How to Unlock the Metal Cap

Reaching the Cavern of Metal

Enter Hazy Maze Cave and choose any mission. You will need to use the elevator that leads to the watery cavern, where you’ll find Dorrie, the sea creature. To get to Dorrie: From the start of the level, take the path to the left. Long-jump over the hole in the ground and use the door at the other end. You will enter an area with giant rolling borders and small platforms surrounding a large hole in the center. Long jump over to the platforms on the left side until you reach the hallway from which the boulders are coming. Avoid the boulders as you walk further into the hallway, and turn right to find a door. The door leads to a small room with a large square on the ground - that is an elevator. Stand on the elevator and allow it to take you to the area below.

Get off the elevator and continue going further down the cavern, and you will eventually reach the water. Jump in and swim on the surface all the way to the back of the cavern to find a large blue sea creature, Dorrie. Jump onto Dorrie’s back and perform a ground pound. This will cause it to lower its head for a few seconds. Walk across its neck and stand on its head. Dorrie will raise its head again. Dorrie moves in the direction that Mario is facing. Look for a set of double doors on the wall with a large platform leading to it. Keep facing in the direction of the door to make Dorrie swim toward it. Once close enough to the platform, jump onto it and go through the door. Walk through the short hallway and jump into the pool at the center of the room to enter the Cavern of Metal.

Activating the Green Switch

Upon entering the level, Mario will become Metal Mario. Like with the Vanish Cap, the Metal effect lasts for a limited amount of time. The Metal Cap makes Mario slower and heavier. Metal Mario cannot swim and instead walks on the bottom of the water. While underwater, Metal Mario’s air supply is irrelevant because he does not breath.

This cavern is very small, so consider getting the eight Red Coins for the Power Star while you are here. Avoid or defeat the Snufits and head to the end of the hallway. Go left and to the right is a big waterfall that is an exit. The flow of the water will push non-metal Mario toward the waterfall if you are not careful.

Allow the Metal Cap to expire and jump across the rocky platforms to reach the big green switch at the end of the cavern. Ground-pound it to activate all the green !-Blocks and unlock the Metal Cap. After pressing the switch, you can either leave the area through the waterfall, or exit by grabbing the easily attainable Power Star.

To get the Power Star for this level, you must find the eight Red Coins. Since this level is so small, all the coins are nearby. In the opening on the wall, next to the narrow rocky bridge, sit two of the Red Coins. The other six are underwater, surrounding the switch's rocky platform. You could either swim underwater or use the green !-Block near the signpost to walk around the platform and get the six Red Coins. After the final Coin, the Star appears behind the rocky platform.

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7. Vanish Cap Under the Moat 8 Red Coins, Peach's Castle Secret Stars

Unlocking the Vanish Cap

Draining the Moat

To reach the course, you must drain the water surrounding the castle. To do this, you must first get the basement key by defeating Bowser during the mission, Bowser in the Dark World.

Enter the basement and use the door on the right to enter the winding hallway. Stay along the right wall and keep going right,following the hallway until you reach an unmarked door near the water. Use the door to enter the next room. Jump into the water and dive through the tunnel to reach a hidden area. Swim over to the two pillars in the water and perform a ground pound on both of them to drain the water. With the water drained, you can now use the door at the end of the room to exit the castle and walk outside. Turn right and keep going until you reach a hole in the ground, next to the waterfall. Jump into the hole to start the course.

Trigger the Blue Switch

The Blue Switch is at the end of the course. Triggering it will give you access to all the Blue !-Blocks in every course and allows you to use the Vanish Cap.

Using the Vanish Cap

The Vanish Cap turns Mario invisible and allows him to walk through certain solid structures, like ice walls, fences/cages, certain paintings and more. The effect lasts for a limited amount of time.

Red Coins on the Slope

When you enter the course, drop on top of a slope. There are four Red Coins scattered across the platforms on this slope. Stay on the side from which you dropped in and slowly slide Mario straight down. Slide onto the first platform containing Red Coin #1. From this platform, lightly jump down to land on another platform below and find Red Coin #2. From this platform, lightly jump to the right to fall onto another platform with a yellow !-Block. Hit it to get a 1-Up Mushroom.

Lightly jump off the left side of the platform to land next to another 1-Up Mushroom. Jump off the right side of this platform and slowly slide down to reach a platform below containing Red Coin #3. While on the third coin’s platform, go to the left side and jump up to reach the slightly higher platform on the left and find Red Coin #4. That is all of the Red Coins on the slope. Slowly slide down the rest of the slope. When you reach the bottom, follow the walkway toward the right and around the corner.

Red Coins and Checkered Platforms

Avoid all the hazards as you walk around the corner and reach the moving checked platform on the back wall. These platforms flip over when they reach the top, so be careful not to get flung off. Red Coins #5 & #6 are at the ends of the first teetering platforms. Red Coin #7 is near the top of the left side of the last set of checkered platforms. You need to exit the checkered platforms by jumping onto the floor on the right. You may need to do a double jump or backflip, as the checkered platform rises before it flips over near the top.

The Final Red Coins and the Star

After navigating through all the checkered platforms, the final Red Coins is directly in front of the Blue Switch. After grading the last Red Coin, the Power Star appears inside a fenced area. Ground pound the Blue Switch to activate all the blue !-Blocks and unlock the Vanish Cap. Hit the blue !-Block on the left, get the Vanish Cap, and run though the fence to reach the star.

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